Electric switch



April 7, 1925. 1,532,345

G. F. RAUCH ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Oct. 26, 1922 a Sheets-Sheet 1 K b: wT \\\\\\\J Snow dob April 7, 1925. 1,532,345

G. F. RAUCH ELECTRIC SWITCH' Filed Oct. 26, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2ave/urea 6. f- 5400/, Witmeoa 259.10

April 7, 1925. 1,532,345

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l witness anon ego Patented Apr. 7, 1925.

UNETED STATES 1,532,345 FATENT F'FHOE.

GEORGE F, RAUCH, F PUKWANA, SOUTH DAKOTA.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Application filed October 26, 1922. Serial No. 597,128.

electric switches and the present disclosure is directed moreparticularly to a time switch designed prin'iarily for operatingwhistles or gongs in factories and the like to indicate the starting ofwork periods and the ending thereof. It will be understood, however,that the invention is not restricted to this particular use.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple andinexpensive switch mechanism which can easily be operated by a clockmechanism. In carrying out this end, a further object is to providespring means for closing the switch after it has been initially startedtowards closed position by the clockinechanism. Similarly, anotherobject is to provide for opening the switch under the influence of aspring. By. making these provisions, less power is required from theclock mechanism than would otherwise be necessary. The switch isnormally set and yieldably held in open position and a still further aimis to make novel provision for resetting the parts in fully openposition, after the switch has been opened to some extent, by the springmeans above referred to.

Yet another object is to provide a single actuating member carrying botha dog for starting the switch toward closed position and a resettingdevice for returning the switch to fully open position, after it isoperated.

The switch mechanism is adapted for closing an electric circuit, forinstance, to operate a factory whistle at the proper intervals on weekdays, a further object of the invention being to provide an additionalswitch for the same circuit, opened on Sat urday night by the clockmechanism and held open until Monday morning, whereby the whistle or thelike will not operate on Sunday.

Vith the foregoing and minor objects in rotates once every seven days.

view, the invention resides in the novel subset in. :ter hereinafterdescribed and claimed, the description being supplemented by theaccompanying drawings.

Figs. 1, 2, and 4 are elevational views showing different positions ofparts.

Fig. is a perspective view of the movable switch member.

Fig. 6 is a perspective of the actuator and parts carried thereby. 1

Fig. 7 is a perspective of the switch closing spring.

In the drawings above briefly described,

the numeral 1 designates an appropriate support, preferably formed ofinsulating material in the form of a partition across a clock casing 2.Upon this support is mount ed a clock mechanism 3 of any desired form,the sleeve 4 which commonly drives the hour hand of the clock beingprovidedv with a gear 5 which makes one complete revolution every twelvehours and meshes with a larger gear 6 mounted at one side of the support1, for turning this gear once in every twenty four hours. The gear 6 isprovided with a pinion 7 meshing with a third gear 8 which The wheel 6is provided with a plurality of tappets 9 for operating a switch forcompleting an electric circuit several times during each day, while thegear 8 is provided with an arcuate cam 10 adapted to open another switchof the same circuit, every Saturday night, as above referred to. r

The day switch includes a movable member 11 which is pivotally mountedon a bind ing post 12 extending through the support 1, said member 11being normally out of engagement with a fixed contact 13 which alsopasses through the support. The switch member 11 is provided with alateral arm 14- having an insulating pin 15 which is normally engagedwith a seat 16 of a head 17 carried'by the upper end of a spring arm 18,whereby to yieldably hold the member 11 set at a fully open position, asindicated in Fig. 1. Below the seat 16, the head 17 is formed with anoblique cam 19. When the switch member 11 is initially started towardclosed position and the pin 15 is disengaged from the seat 16, the cam19 acts upon said pin to quickly rock the said switch member to thecompletely closed position depicted in Fig. 3, thereby bridging the gapbetween the binding post 12 and the Contact 13 and completing anelectric circuit.

For initially starting the switch member 11 towards closed position andfor also assisting in resetting said switch member at its fully openposition, I provide movable actuator 20 which is preferably pivoted tothe support 1 as indicated at 9,1. This actuator, in the form ofconstruction herein disclosed, is provided with an inclined arm 22 towhich a dog is pivoted, said dog being preferably formed in part ofinsulating material and having teeth 25 on its free end for engagementwith a lateral projection on the lower end of an operating arm 27 whichdepends from the switch mher 11. The actuator 20 is provided 11 a nose98 disposed in the path of the tappets i) and by reference to Fig. 3, itwill be seen that engagement of any tappet with said nose will rocl; theactuator 20 upon its pivot 21, thereby causing the dog 23 to en gage theprojection 26 and start the switch member 11 toward closed position. Assoon i K; movement takes place sul'iiciently to ut the cam 19 to act onthe pin 15, said cam completes the closing ot the switch member 11 underthe influence of the spring arm 18. Before the tappet 9 leaves the nose.8, however, the actuator 20 is further moved and I make use of thisadditional moven'ient for, first, tensi'oning spring means for openingthe switch member, second, for releasing the tensioned spring means topermit it to open the switch member, and, third, for positivelyresetting said switch member in completely opened position with the pin15 engaged with the seat 16.

The spring means above referred to, prefcrably consists of a flat springarm 29, suitably anchored at its upper end upon the support- 1, thelower end of said spring arm being preferably thicker-red by theaddition of a suitable body of metal 30 thereto. A gravity-righted dog31 is pivoted to the actuator 20 to engage the lower end of the springarm 29 during movement of said actuator to initially start the switchmember ll on its closing movement. This engage ment obtains throughoutthe period during which the switch member 11. is moving to completelyclosed position and for any desired time thereafter. lVhen this time hasbeen reached, the dog 81 disengages from the lower end of the spring arm29 and the latter in being thus released, snaps into contact with aninsulating block on the lower end of the arm 27, thereby quickly movingthe switch member 11 from engagement with the contact 13. Still furthermovement of the actuator 20 now serves to positively reset the switchmember 11 in the position shown in Fig. i.

In the preferred form of construction, the resetting device is in theform of a rod pivoted at (i-l to and rising from a substantiallyhorizontal arm 35, extending from the actuator 20, the upper end of saidrod being received in a suitable guide 36 nd being equipped with aninsulated head 37 for contact with the lower side of the arm 14, afterthe switch member 11 has been opened under the influence of the springarm 29. Thus, the rod 33 will rock the switch member, causing its pin 15to act against the cam 19 and retract the head 1'4", until said pin 15is seated in the seat 16, as shown in Fig. -Ll-. During this move ment,a releasing arm 38 with which the dog 23 is provided, strikes a portionof the guide 36, or any other stationary part, so that said dog isrocked out of the path of the projection 26 of arm 27, therebyinterfering in no manner with the opening movement of the switch member.

By the time the pin 15 is engaged with the seat 16, the tappet 9 whichwas previously turning the actuator 20 at a uniliorm speed, hasdisengaged from the nose with the result that said actuator and theparts attached thereto return by gravity to the idle position disclosedin Fig. l, at which position they are in readiness to be operated by thenext tappet 9, so as to lirst close the switch member 11 and then openthe same in the manner above described in detail.

VVh-ile the switch mechanism above described may well be used separatelyfrom any other switch structure, I prefer that it be used in connectionwith a second switch controlled by the cam 10. This second switch maywell consist of a metal arm -l-.O pivoted to a binding post l1,extending through the support 1, said arm normally contacting with acontact pin also cxtending through said support. One end of arm 40provided vith an extension 13 suitably insulated therefrom and disposedin the path of the cam 10.

The switch oi which the arm l0 lorms a part, is included in the samecircuit with the time operated switch above described. It will thus beseen that regardless of any movement of the switch member ll, the viacuit will not be completed f the arm in is held disengaged from thecontact l2 by means of the cam 10. 'l huszi, while the switch member 11will operate to complete the circuit, for instance, of a factory whistleat the required times during each day. the whistle or the like will notbe operated on Hand while the arm 10 is being held away from the contactl2 by the cam '10.

llhile any desired wiring may be used, l prefer to extend two line wires-l-:l and lf, through the casing 2, one of these wires be ing connectedto the contact 13, \i'hile the other is anchored to the coi'itact bus.by connerting the two binding posts ":2 and 4-1 with a wire lo, thedesired results will be obtained. It is, of course, understoml that thewires 44; and 45 are connected with the electric device to be operatedand a source of electric current in any desired manner.

While I have not shown such an arrangement, it will be -understood thata third switch might be operating from the gear 6 for thepurpose ofsounding a curfew at any desired time. i

' From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, it will be seen that I have provided a highly eflic'ient anddesirable association of'parts for can rying out the objects of theinvention. EX- cel lent results have been obtained from the generalstructure shown'and described and it may therefore be followed ifdesired. It is to be understood, however, that within the scope of theinvention as claimed, numerous minor changes may be made. For in stance,the seven-day wheel 8 need not necessarily be located at the point shownon the drawings, but may be disposed at some other point if found moredesirable.

I claim:

1. In combination, a movable switch member, a movable actuator havingmeans for moving said switch member to closed posi tion when saidactuator is moved in one direction to a predetermined extent, meansoperated by said actuator for moving said switch member to openposition, when said actuator moves further in the same direction, andchronometric means for moving said actuator in the specified manner.

2. In combination, a movable switch member, a movable actuator having areleasable dog for engaging said switch member and moving it towardclosed position, means for releasing said dog after starting of saidswitch member, and means for quickly completing the closing movement ofthe switch.

3. In combination, a movable switch member, a movable actuator having apivoted dog to engage said switch member and move the same toward closedposition, said dog having a lateral. arm, a stop in the path of said armfor releasing said dog when the switch member has been moved to apredetermined extent, and means for rapidly completing the closingmovement of said switch member.

4. In combination, a movable switch member, a spring pressed holdingdevice engaging said switch member and normally holding the same in openposition, and means for starting said switch member toward closedposition, said spring pressed holding device having a cam surface forengaging said switch member after starting thereof to rapidly completeits closing movement.

5. In combination, a movable switch member normally set at openposition, a movable actuator for efl'ecting closing of said switchmember, a resetting device for said switch member carried by saidactuator and switch member, a rod pivoted to said actuator to engagesaid switch member and re set the same at open position after closingthereof, and means for moving said actuator in the same direction untilboth closing and opening of the switch have been eifected.

7. In combination, a movable switch member normally set in openposition, a mov able actuator for effecting closing of said switchmember, normally inert spring means foropening said switch member, meansfor automatically tensioning said spring means by movement of saidactuator in switch closing direction and for releasing said spring meansupon further movement of said actuator, whereby to open the switch, andmeans operated by said actuator for positively resetting the aforesaidswitch member after opening thereof.

8. In combination, a movable switch member, a movable actuator foreffecting closing of said switch-member, and a normally inert spring armforopening said switch member when tensioned and released, said actuatorhaving a dog for tensioning said spring arm and for releasing thesameafter closing of the switch.

9. .In combination, a pivoted switch member, means for normally holdingsaid switch member open and for completing the closing movement thereofwhen initially started, a pivoted actuator having a releasable dog forengaging said switch member and starting the same toward closedposition,

means for releasing said dog, normally inert spring means for openingsaid switch memher when tensioned and released, said actuator having adog for tensioning said spring means and for releasing the same, afterclosing of the switch, and a resetting device carried by said actuatorfor positively ongaging said switch member with saidv first named meansafter opening of said member.

10. A time controlled circuit closer, including a switch member movableto open or close a circuit, actuating means for the member having amovable element provided with a plurality of actuators adapted for acycle of operation to move the switch memher to closed and openpositions in a short interval of time, and chronometrically operatedmeans for moving the element to produce a cycle of operation of theactuators.

11; A time controlled circuit closer, ineluding a switch member movableto open or close a circuit, actuating means having a movable clementprovided with a plurallll) ity of independent successively operatingactuators movable through a cycle of operation for moving the switchmember to closed and open position in a relatively short interval oftime, and chronometrically operated means for eii'ecting a cycle ofoperation of the actuators.

12. A time controlled circuit closer, including a switch member movableto open or close a circuit, means operable on said switch member forholding it in either open or closed position, actuating means for theswitch member to more it to closed and open position in a relativelshort period of time, and chronometrically operated means for operatingthe actuating means.

13. A time controlled circuit closer, including a switch member movableto open or close a circuit, actuating means for the member operablethrough a cycle of operation in a relatively short period of time formoving the member to closed and open position, auxiliary switch memberoperating means controlled by the actuating means operable for producinga quick break in the circuit during the ll'lOVGlllGllt ot the switchmember to open position, and chronomet'rically operated means foroperating the actuating means said actuating means for the switch memberbeing interposed between said switchmember and the ehronometricallyoperated means.

In testimony whereo'i I have hereunto afliXed my signature.

GEOPGE F. RAUCI'I

